Legion of Honor museum in SF reopens with lavish ‘Pompeii’

The Legion of Honor Museum has reopened as of Friday and is offering a major new exhibit about the high life in ancient Rome, as well as a new collection of sculptures.

“Last Supper in Pompeii” is, as its title suggests, a look at life in the famed city in southern Italy around 79 AD, just as Mount Vesuvius was about to erupt and both change and preserve history. The eruption killed thousands and buried the city in hot ash and lava. The resulting cover of pumice, however, preserved architecture, furnishings and artwork, human remains, even food, eventually giving the world a detailed look at how people lived there.

And apparently, they were totally into eating and drinking.

“Last Supper in Pompeii brings us into the world of ancient Rome by focusing on the particulars of everyday life, influenced by the extensive, rich, and complex relationships between food, drink, and society,” says Renée Dreyfus, curator of ancient art for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which includes the Legion as well as the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park. “The objects on view not only capture our imagination but also whet our appetite, informing us of the glory that once was Rome.”

The exhibit, which includes new items unearthed in recent excavations, includes some 150 objects, from artwork — including sculptures, mosaics and frescoes — to household furnishings, tableware and other knickknacks of everyday life. Many of the objects will be appearing in the U.S. for the first time. The exhibit runs through Aug. 29.

One of the rooms of the exhibit re-creates the interior of a typical Pompeii residence. Food preparation, social life and other aspects of daily living are also explored.

The Legion also boasts several new sculptures placed alongside Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker” in the Court of Honor outside the museum.

The museum is located in Lincoln Park, 100 34th Ave., S.F. Hours are 9:30 a.m.-5:15 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays). The museum is following pandemic-related safety precautions. Masks are required and timed-tickets must be purchased in advance.

General admission tickets are $6-$15; tickets to “Last Supper in Pompeii” are $15-$30 (which also gets you admission to the rest of the museum).

Buy tickets, review COVID-19 safety requirements and get more information at legionofhonor. famsf.org.